1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvement of a method of drawing a cutting area in an automatic programming apparatus or a numerical control apparatus having an automatic programming function.
2. Description of the Related Art
An automatic programming apparatus and a numerical control apparatus having a similar function (hereinafter referred to as an automatic programming apparatus and the like) are already known which allow an operator to set and input a shape of a workpiece to be cut and a shape of a finished part of the workpiece in an interactive mode, to input a kind of machining and data of a tool to be used in machining and cutting conditions for each machining process, and then to set a cutting area in an interactive mode by means of a cutting area setting screen individually displayed for each machining process.
An automatic programming apparatus and the like allow an operator to input data of a workpiece and a finished part through an interactive screen for setting and inputting a shape and dimensions of the workpiece to be cut and an interactive screen for setting and inputting a shape and dimensions of the finished part, to input one by one a machining kind in the order of execution of the machining processes through a process list screen for definition of machining and to input machining data necessary for each machining process through a tool data setting screen, a cutting condition setting screen, a cutting area setting screen, and the like each time a machining kind is inputted, that is, each time a machining process is newly set. And in the case where it is needed to modify some content of a machining process, it is necessary to display a process list screen for modification by newly selecting a program for making a modifying operation and to select a machining process to be modified from the screen and to update the existing data with the newly set and inputted data as new data for the process by repeating the same operations as described above. In such a case as this, however, the process list screen can display only characters and numeric characters, but cannot display a cutting area, a shape of a finished part, and the like.
In an existing automatic programming apparatus and the like also, it has been possible to make a setting operation of a cutting area by specifying a dividing position by means of a cursor and the like on a display screen while referring to a shape of a workpiece and a shape of a finished part on a cutting area setting screen of a display device, but it has been difficult to check a remaining uncut part caused by a shape of a tool and the like since it is impossible to directly see a cutting area itself defined by the cutting area setting operation by means of the display screen of the machining process. The remaining uncut part caused by a shape of a tool and the like is eventually displayed as a shape of the workpiece at a point in time when a cutting area setting screen of the next machining process is displayed, but in the case where an undesirable remaining part left as uncut is found at this point in time, since it is necessary to modify data of the previous machining process after selecting anew a program for making a modifying operation and selecting a process list screen, there is a problem that the machining operation is made troublesome due to such a screen switching operation and the like.
For example, if an operator finds a remaining uncut part produced in the (N-1)th machining process prior to the N-th machining process only at the time when a cutting area setting screen of the N-th machining process is being displayed, the operator has to interrupt or abort a new setting operation of a cutting area for the N-th machining process, erase the cutting area setting screen for the N-th machining process, select a process list screen for modification to carry out a modifying operation, and select the (N-1)th machining process prior to the N-th machining process through a process specifying operation by means of a cursor and the like, and then start the modifying operation.
And there is also a method for detecting a remaining uncut part by utilizing a machining simulation by means of an animation drawing technique, but still it needs a troublesome screen switching operation and needs to start modification of data after selecting anew the machining process for the modifying operation in the same manner as described above in order to modify the data. Moreover, since such a machining simulation method draws moment by moment variation of a machining state while following an actual tool movement, it carries with it a disadvantage of wasting time in the case that an operator wants to check only a remaining uncut part which appears at the end of each machining process.